Switch mechanism for electric-lamp sockets and the like.



PATENTED FEB. 26. 1907 J. P. NEILSON. SWITCH MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC LAMPSOCKETS AND TH APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1906.

E LIKE.

W-ITN ESS ES INVENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

JAMES P. ignnson, or sainenron'r, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRY- ANTELECTRIC COMPANY, or BRIDGEPORT, CONNEOTICUT, A CORPO- RATION OFCONNECTICUT.

WITCH MECHANISM FOR'ELECTRIC- LAMP SOCKETS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907. 7

Application filed July 25, 1906. Serial No. 327,606.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES P. NnrLsoN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and aresident of Bridgeport in the. county of Fairfield andState of Connecticut, have invented a certain new anduseful ImprovedSwitch Mechanism for Electric-Lam Sockets and the Like, of which thefollowmgis a specification.

My invention relates to a switch'mechanism particularly intended forelectrical lamp sockets, but which may be used in any electricalappliance in which a contact is made or brokenby means of acontact-piece operated with lost motion by a spindle.

My device has for its object that the operating-shaft and thecontact-piece shall tend' to maintain practically the same positionsrelatively to each other at all times.

- In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention incorporated ina standard incandescent-lamp socket.

In the accompanying 'dra s,'Figi1re 1 is a vertical section of a portionoi. an incandescent-lamp socket in which 'my device-is applied, andFig.2 is an enlarged perspective view .of the spindle and contactpiec'e' therein.

' As ordinarily constructed .the spindle and its operating-key in anincandescent-lamp socket ma freely occup any positionwithin the arc ofost motion re ative tothe position of the contact-piece. Inasmuch asthis are is considerable, extending over as many as seventy degrees insome cases, it is difiicult to be sure from the position and angle-ofthe key what the fpositlon of the, contact-block within the socket maybe. It is sometimes necessary; consequently, ,to revolve this spindleexperimentally'todetermine whether t ec ontact is made or broken. Mydevice obviates this disadvantage by means as simple as they are.efiicacious. I use a springfor example, a tempered spring-wire "3 whichat one end is connected to the spindle 5,: and at the other to thecontact-'pieceS.

the present instance the wire passes spindie at right angles to t e lugs4, which. engage the contact-piece 5 on revolution of the spindle 6. Theequal length arms of the spring are bent in the same direction into atwo subscribing witnesses.

throu h a hole drilled throu h the axis of the positionapproximatelyparallel to the spindle, and {thpliffiee ends are thenconnected by any suitaijie means, as by inserting them in holesdrilledto'receive them in the opposite ends of the centact-piece. The 0eration oi this springis plain. Whatever t e position of thecontact-piece, the s ring under torsional strain revolves the spindlethrough the arc of lost motion until the axis of the hole in the spindlethrough which the spring passes is in'the same plane as the longitudinalaxis of the contact-piece. The Web 7 of the, spindle, therefore, ifattached in the plane of the hole through which the spring passesfurnishes a ready indicator of the position of the contact-piece, whichlies in the same plane.

I claim as my invention- 1. An electrical switch device having a spindleand a contact-piece connected with lost motion to 'saidspindle, anddirectly operated b the latter with means tending to keep sai parts inthe same positions with relation to each other rotarily.

2. A keysocket having a spindle and a contactrpiece connected with lostmotion to said-spindle, and directly operated by the latter with springmeans tending to keep the spindle and contact-piece in the samepositions with relation to each other rotarily.

3. A key-socket having a spindle, a thumbkey and a contact-piececonnected with lost motion to said s indle and directly operated by thelatter with a spring connecting the spindle and the contact-piecetending to keep t em in the same position with relation to each otherrotarily.

4. A key-socket tact-piece connected with lost motion to said spindle,with a spring connecting the spindle and contact-piece and secured tothe latter on opposite sides of the spindle, substantially as described.t

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationin thepresence of' JAMES P. NEILSON.

Witnesses: ,7 I G. W. Goonnmcn, H. W. Gowsnonooen.

having a spindle and-con

